Merchandise display board illuminating means for coin-controlled vending machines



Aprll 30, 1968 w. G. MCDONALD 3,381,121

MERCHANDISE DISPLAY BOARD ILLUMINATING MEANS FOR COIN-CONTROLLED VENDINGMACHINES Filed on 24 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WINFORD G. M DONALD BY W L '11.,

ATTORNEY April 1963 w cs. MCDONALD 3,381,121

MERCHANDISE DIS PLAY BOARD ILLUMINATING MEANS FOR COIN-CONTROLLEDVENDING MACHINES I Filed Oct. 24, 1966 5 sheets-$11581. 2

38 {I I! [I ll L 62 Q 9e 10072 U 40 I03... 84: 188 42 36 5 1/ 56 April30, 1968 w. G. MCDONALD 3,381,121

MERCHANDISE DISPLAY BOARD ILLUMINATING MEANS FOR COIN-CONTROLLED VENDINGMACHINES Filed Oct. 24, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT OR WIN FORD G. M cDONALD ATTORNEY United States Patent 1 3,381,121 MERCHANDISE DISPLAYBOARD ILLUMINATING MEANS FOR COIN-CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINES Winford'G. McDonald, 2623 W. Colorado Blvd.,

Dallas, Tex. 75208 Filed Oct. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 588,901 6 Claims. (Cl.240-6) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE Vending machine apparatus having anupright merchandise display board and an opposed transparent window. Theboard and window define opposed sides of a cornpartment having an openupper end. A cover for the apparatus, including a portion spanning theopen end of the compartment, and means suspended from the cover betweenthe window and display board to illuminate merchandise supported on thelatter.

This invention relates to the general field of illumination and, morespecifically. the instant invention pertains to the provision of meansfor illuminating stock merchandisc of vending machines.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide electricalilluminating means for conventional coincontrolled merchandise vendingmachines wherein sample merchandise is mounted on a display board and isilluminated by the aforementioned means.

Another object of this invention is to provide, as an attachment for oras a permanent installation of the cover plate or hopper closure memberfor vending machines of the type described, means for illuminatingsample or display merchandise subject to vending by the (machine, andwherein the illuminating means is interposed between a transparentwindow and a display board bearing the sample wares.

A further object of this invention is to provide illuminating lIl'lEZlnSof the type generally described supra, which may be assembled as anintegral unit or may comprise individual components for subsequentassembly.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide means forreleasably securing the illuminating means to the vending machine coverplate, the means including sep erable elements to permit interchange orreplacement of the elements and wherein the interchange or replacementof the elements may involve the use of elements having larger or smallerdimensions, all within the physical limits of the inventive concept.

This invention contemplates, as a still further object thereof, theprovision of illuminating means of the type generally described above,the means being noncomplex in construction and assembly, inexpensive tomanufacture and maintain, and which is rugged and durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the instant invention willbecome more manifest from the consideration of the followingspecification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a conventional coincontrolled vendingmachine of the counter or portable type and embodying the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the coin-controlled vending machine shownin FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detail cross-sectional view, FIGURE 3 beingtaken substantially on the vertical plane of line 3-3 of FIGURE 2,looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the vending machine cover plate andshowing the illuminating means according to this invention as installedthereon; and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective veiw of the illuminating means ofthis invention.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 18designates, in general, a coin-controlled merchandise vending machineconstructed in accordance with the teaching of this invention. Themachine 10, is generally speaking, of conventional construction to theextent that it includes a substantially rectangular hollow base 12housing the usual coin-controlled vending mechanism 14. The latter isshown in conjunction with the usual coin receiving box 16 slidablyreceived within the base 12 and which is releasably secured therein bykey controlled lock means 18. The box 16 includes the conventional coinreceiving slot 20 to receive a coin of the proper denomination wherebythe vending machine article release mechanism may be operated throughthe actuation of the manually manipulated handle means 22, all in theusual and conventional manner. Also included in the base 12 is amechandise dispensing chute 24 across the open discharge end of whichextends the gravity operated pivotally mounted cover plate 26.

Superimposed on the base 12, also in the conventional manner is amerchandise receiving hopper 28 which includes the usual laterallyspaced, confronting and sub stantially parallel upright side walls 30,32 spanned at their back edges by a back wall 34 and at their respectivefront edges by an open continuous frame 36 (see FIG- URES l and 3). Theframe 36 cants outwardly at its upper end and includes an upright outercontinuous flange 38, an inwardly extending continuous bight 40 fromwhich projects an open continuous inner window supporting flange 42defining the substantially rectangular window opening 44. The hopper 28includes a bottom wall 46 which supports the lower end of a transparentwindow 48, the latter spanning the opening 44 and being supported on thecontinuous flange 42. Any suitable back stop and window guide means,such as the L-shaped element 50 secured to the opposed side walls, 30,32 may be used to prevent the accidental or inadvertent displacement ofthe window 44.

At 52 is indicated an upright flange which projects laterally (only onebeing shown) from each side wall 30, 32 and which serves as a backstopfor a normally upright substantially rectangular merchandise displayboard 54, the latter having a side disposed in confronting and inwardlyspaced relation relative to the window 44. As is seen in FIGURE 3, thewindow 48, the display board 54 and those portions of the side walls 30,32 extending therebetween define a substantially hollow invertedpyramidal compartment 56 to which further reference will be made, infra.

The display board 54 is adapted to mount and support merchandise 58 (seeFIGURE 1) comprising differing items which are capsuled in the usualmanner and are inserted in the hopper 28. These are vended, by chance,upon insertion of the proper coin in the slot 20 followed by theoperation of the handle means 22.

The upper open end of the hopper 28 is closed by a removable cover plate68 having a substantially rectangular configuration and including adepending continuous guide flange 62 (see FIGURES 3 and 4) spacedinwardly from its peripheral marginal edge. As is seen in FIGURE 3, theguide flange 62 slidably engages behind the upper peripheral marginaledges of the side walls 30, 32, back wall 34- and the upper end of theflange 33.

The cover plate is formed with a normally horizontal continuousperipheral flange 64 at the outer marginal edge thereof, the flange 64at its inned edge merging with front and back walls 65-, 68 whichconverge upwardly to join in a horizontal top wall 79, and normallyupright side walls 72, 74, these walls cooperating to define adownwardly opening cavity 76.

At 78 is designated a conventional normally upright standard disposedwithin the hopper 28 and having its lower end fixedly secured within themachine 10 by conventional means not shown. The other or upper end ofthe standard 78 projects above the open upper end of hopper 28 to servea function to be described.

All of the foregoing relates to conventional vending machineconstruction, well known in the art and which has been but brieflydescribed herein to afford a suitable utili tarian background for thesubject matter of this invention which is described immediately below.

It has been mentioned above that one of the primary objects of thisinvention is to provde illumination for the merchandise mounted on thedisplay board 54 whereby attention is directed thereto. To this end thisinvention provides an elongated inverted opaque L-shaped hanger bracketmeans 8%) having an elongated horizontally extending foot portion 82provided with an integrally formed depending leg section 84. Fixedlyconnected to the leg section 84 at each end thereof is an angle bracket86 having an inwardly projecting arm 88, each of the latter providingmounting means for fluorescent light sockets 90 adapted to releasablyreceive and support the opposed ends of a conventional fluorescent lighttube 88.

Projectin laterally from the foot portion 82 substantially centrally ofits ends, is a reversed (as shown in FIGURE 3) Z-shaped resilient metalstrap 92 (see FIG- URE having end tabs 94, 96 oflset laterally andextending in diverging directions from its bight 98. As is seen inFIGURE 3, the hanger bracket 80 extends transversely across the upperend of the window 44 with the foot portion 82. releasably clampedbetween the tab 94 and an adjacent portion of the underside of theflange 64, and the leg section 84 is interposed between the fluorescentlight tube 88 and the adjacent end of the window 44 to reflect lightrays away therefrom for dispersement inwardly in the direction of thedisplay board 54 and to preclude a concentration thereof at the upperedge of the window 44.

The tab 96 is clamped between the top wall 70 and an elongatedsubstantially rectangular cross-member 100 which engages against andextends parallel to the underside of the top wall 70, the cross-member100 being detachably connected thereon by means of a jamb nut 102threaded on a conventional lock housing 103 telescopicah ly receivedover the upper end of the standard 78. The lock housing 103 depends fromthe top wall 70 and the lower end thereof extends through a suitableopening 104 disposed centrally of the ends of the cross-member 100; theupper end of the lock housing 103 projects above the top Wall 70 toreleasably receive a conventional key operated locknut 106 (see FIG. 1)which cooperates with the upper end of the standard 78 to releasablysecure the cover plate 60 on the upper end of the hopper 28, all in theconventional manner. If desired, the crossmember 100 may be formed withan upwardly facing groove 108 to receive the tab 96 therein as shown inFIGURE 3.

For ease of shipment, the component elements 80, 92 and 100 may beknocked down as shown in the exploded perspective view of FIGURE 5, ortwo or more thereof may be rigidly connected together, at the option ofthe manufacturer, to form one or more units. The knocked down elementspermit, of course, assembly of similar elements wherein the dimensionsof the several elements may be changed in accordance with changes insize and configuration of the hopper 28 whereas a rigid assembly wouldsomewhat limit the usage of the invention except in those instanceswherein a plurality of devices constructed in accordance with thisinvention were to be made for installation in vending machines thehoppers of which would be of uniform size and construction.

The cross-member 100 is adapted to subtend the usual starter and ballastcomponents 110, 112, respectively, which may be secured thereto byconventional fastening means 114. V

i The conventional circuitry 116 (see FIGURE 4) connects the electricalcomponents, the electrical circuit 116 being connected to one end of acable 118 that is carried in a bushing 120 which extends transverselythrough an opening 122 formed in the back wall 68. The other end of thecable 118 is connected to a suitable source of (not shown).

While the above description discloses a specific means for top lightingthe compartment 56, it is contemplated that the bottom lighting thereofcould be accomplished in an analogous manner. Additionally, it will beunderstood that the electrical components, depending upon the size ofthe display board 54 and window 48 may be standard or miniaturized; andit is to be recognized that if desired, and if the circumstances sowarrant, the ballast 112 and starter could be located elsewhereinternally or externally of the machine 10 without departing from thespirit and scope of this invention.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention indetail, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by way ofexample, and that this invention is to be limited only by the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vending machine having an upright hopperprovided with an open end, a window at a side thereof, a merchandisedisplay board disposed within said hopper in inwardly spaced confrontingrelation relative to said Window and defining a compartment therebeween,a cover plate mounted on said hopper and closing said open end thereofwhile spanning one end of said compartment, means for illuminating saidcompartment, said illuminating means including an elongated L- shapedopaque hanger bracket having a foot portion and a leg section,releasable clamping means connecting said foot portion to said coverplate with said leg section depending between said window and saidboard, said hanger bracket having opposed ends each having socket meansthereon to releasably receive, electrically connect, and to support theopposed ends of a fluorescent tube therein with said tube extendingtransversely across and between adjacent ends of said window and saiddisplay board and being interposed between said display board and saiddepending leg section.

2. In the combination of claim 1 wherein said clamprng means of saidsupport means comprises an elongated strap having one end thereofconnected on said foot portion and having another end thereof fixedlyconnected to said cover plate.

3. In the combination of claim 2 wherein said strap is resilient andincludes a tab at each said end thereof, and wherein the tab at said oneend of said strap is biased for closing movement against an adjacentportion of said cover plate to releasably clamp said foot portiontherebetween.

4. In the combination of claim 3 wherein said support means includes across-member connected to said cover plate and which extendstransversely of the underside thereof to connect the other of said tabsthereto.

5. In the combination of claim 4 wherein said other of said tabs isengaged between said cover plate and said cross-member, and means toclamp said other of said tabs therebetween.

6. In the combination of claim 5 wherein said crossmember is providedwith a groove to releasably receive said other of said tabs therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1942 Netting 240-5 1.11 8/1954Neveroski 35-5 1

